Never again........cost does not equal value......not for kids under 3 years old !!!!

[BNBR]

Carnival is the only line I'm aware of that caters to the 2 - 3 year old range. Below that, nobody wants to deal with them. But Carnival has camp, diaper changes and all, included free, for 2 year olds. The only line I know of that does that. For splash pads/play areas for children in swim diapers, I'm surprised to hear Adventure has anything at all. The only ship I'm aware of that has a full blown play area for swim diapered kids is Harmony (and I believe Symphony).

 

Generally speaking, I don't think cruises are a great choice for a family with kids under 3, though we did have a great Carnival cruise with our 2 year old as he really enjoyed their complimentary camp program.

[SusieQT]

 

Generally speaking, I don't think cruises are a great choice for a family with kids under 3, though we did have a great Carnival cruise with our 2 year old as he really enjoyed their complimentary camp program.

 

I could not disagree more! We cruised with Disney & Celebrity when our kids were under 3. Both were top notch & this was 10+ years ago. We also had a Royal Suite on X for a 10 night PC cruise that was completely amazing. We were able to get in-room babysitting. We used the nursery on Disney.

 

Cruising is great with young children- no cars, everything is stroller friendly, wide range of food choices, activities to meet all kinds of needs.

 

We just cruised again for the first time in 8 years, our kids are now older teenagers. I much prefer land vacations once they could walk and hike and swim and I am definitely not Loyal to Royal or even cruising.

[BNBR]

I could not disagree more! We cruised with Disney & Celebrity when our kids were under 3. Both were top notch & this was 10+ years ago. We also had a Royal Suite on X for a 10 night PC cruise that was completely amazing. We were able to get in-room babysitting. We used the nursery on Disney.

 

Cruising is great with young children- no cars, everything is stroller friendly, wide range of food choices, activities to meet all kinds of needs.

 

We just cruised again for the first time in 8 years, our kids are now older teenagers. I much prefer land vacations once they could walk and hike and swim and I am definitely not Loyal to Royal or even cruising.

 

We enjoyed our land vacations much, much more than cruising when our kids were younger. Ski trip with a cabin with family. Just more relaxed. We ski, grandparents take the kids outside to sled and play in snow, make sandwiches for lunch, etc. Eating out with toddlers isn't that much fun for most people and that's about all you do on a cruise, lol! We did cruise with them, it was "OK", but our camping, skiing, and family land vacations were far easier and more relaxing than cruises.

 

You can't really do much on a cruise with a toddler. No camp, they don't care about shows, pools are not swim diaper friendly, eating out gets annoying and stressful, etc. I don't actually understand why anyone takes kids under 2 on a cruise. I'd rather stay home. But that's my opinion.

[SarcasmSpasm]

I need to take a for forensic approach to the 2 pic’s.

1- the grand suite would have granite countertops. So why is the phone on a cream colored surface? I also doubt all the dust could accumulate shortly after a complete multimillion dollar refurbishment.

 

2- sinks in the GS. Are white porcelain, they appear to pinkish hue to them.

 

If I am wrong, Please accept my apology in advance. However, we had friend in a GS right after its refurb. So 8m going by their photos.

 

 

 

 

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Just when I thought I had seen it all on CC... wow.

 

OP - sorry you had a poor experience. I completely understand your frustration. That phone cord is horrifying. Eww.

[Toofarfromthesea]

 

 

 

CONCIERGE service is a joke and non-existent. Mine was not helpful at all. Do not count on private babysitting services after hours in your room, they made it sound like it was a service. IT IS NOT !!! The crew does this on their own time. I called twice and was told NO twice. My husband and I did not go out once together in 7 days. I was totally misled. Guest Services was just as bad. I didn't find them helpful and the lines were always long.

 

 

Babysitting is offered both in a group setting, and individually in your stateroom. In stateroom babysitting must be reserved through the Guest Relations Desk (Purser's Desk) at least 24 hours in advance.

It cannot be reserved prior to the cruise vacation and there is no guarantee that sitters will be available. The service is offered between 8:00 am and 2:00 am when personnel is available. Sitters will be assigned on a first come first served basis.

Children MUST be at least 1 year old. Approximate Rate: $19 per hour for up to three children within the same family. Times and prices are subject to change without notice. Payment will be made using your onboard SeaPass card.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-children-sitter-customer-service

 

 

They made it sound exactly as you found it. As available, no guarantee. If you were misled, it wasn't by Royal. This took me 30 seconds to find.

 

Can cribs/rollaways be provided in my stateroom?

Royal Caribbean provides Play Yard's for use onboard. Play Yard's are similar to a playpen. Cribs are no longer provided.

 

Play Yard's specifics:

For use by children unable to climb out, less than 24" tall, and less than 30 lbs. Mesh on four sides Sets up in less than one minute Strong and stable, yet lightweight Approx. dimensions 28"W x 38 7/8"L x 31-1/4"H Mattress/pad is 1" thick Sheets are provided Folds for storage and includes carrying bag with handle

 

Play Yard's should be reserved in advance so that we are sure we have enough onboard.

 

Please Note: Only one Play Yard per stateroom can be reserved in advance. Requests for additional units must be made onboard.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/lifeOnboardFaq.do#7

 

 

You have to do your homework. How much more specific can they get?

Edited July 24, 2018 by Toofarfromthesea

[momofmab]

We've sailed in a regular GS twice on LOS (I believe that is the same class as Adventure??) and agree with you that it's not worth paying suite prices on Royal (unless, of course, you want to splurge on the newer ships' "Genie class" - but for that price you could rent a spectacular, fully-staffed beach front vacation home on almost any Caribbean island and not have to compete for a spot next to the pool.)

 

The dated cabin décor and "dustiness" in the areas that haven't been cleaned in years is a "con" for me when booking a cruise, which is why we gravitate toward the newer ships (and yes, I know I could make a phone call to housekeeping but I'm on vacation and don't think I should have to micromanage the cleaning of my cabin). I wish Royal and other lines would invest the money in gutting the interiors of the smaller ships and bringing them up into the modern age, rather than ordering more "mega" ships. I much prefer the smaller ships (less people, easier to navigate) but unless I'm on a port-intensive itinerary, having a clean and modern cabin usually wins.

[Havingfun2010]

I learned al long time ago, that traveling with very little kids on any type of vacation is a challenge. The good news is that your complaints were mostly about your little kids, so in the future, the complaints won't matter. Things will get easier when they get older.

 

I'm not saying your complaints are wrong, just common when traveling with babies.

[boatclub1]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-children-sitter-customer-service

 

 

They made it sound exactly as you found it. As available, no guarantee. If you were misled, it wasn't by Royal. This took me 30 seconds to find.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/lifeOnboardFaq.do#7

 

 

You have to do your homework. How much more specific can they get?

 

 

 

I agree, you have to do your homework........I would never travel with an infant, I would much rather do a land vacation. Cruises are a lot of walking within the crowds of people going here and there - land vacations you can be on your own.

[sellwingri]

I am well aware of how it is to vacation with 2 children and we were not looking for romantic dinners! We wanted the option to do things once they went to bed, together! They go to bed at 7:30-8:00pm. Lessons learned

 

We were told that the babysitting is a service offered and was only told when we got on the ship it was for crew members looking to make extra money. It is $19 an hour and they come to your room and billed to your sea pass.

 

As far as the CS RS versus the Grand on RCL - we were on the Century which is now retired - and it was nicer than Adventure! We now know to book the Genie suites going forward, if we book with RCL again.

 

As far as I know, Royal Caribbean doesn’t have Genie suites.

[KimA75]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-children-sitter-customer-service

 

 

They made it sound exactly as you found it. As available, no guarantee. If you were misled, it wasn't by Royal. This took me 30 seconds to find.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/lifeOnboardFaq.do#7

 

 

You have to do your homework. How much more specific can they get?

She did her homework by asking the representative on the phone when she was making reservations. She should have been able to rely on what they told her. Unfortunately, she has learned the hard way that these representatives don't always know what they are talking about and individual research must be completed.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Play Yard's specifics:

For use by children unable to climb out, less than 24" tall

hmmm, DS was 22" at birth. That doesn't leave much longer to use it.

[John&LaLa]

I too, was going to point this out but I didnt know whether or not suites had actual fridges. The ones in the regular cabins are nothing more than glorified coolers and its imperative to keep the cabinet door open that the cooler is behind.

You cant do that on many ships, the cooler door is attached to the cabinet door

 

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[island lady]

welcome to cc.

 

+1 ^ ;)

[island lady]

As far as I know, Royal Caribbean doesn’t have Genie suites.

 

 

Star class suites.

[MyNameIsGermy]

We will not rule out RCL and we have learned to do better research for the next one! We will go with a newer ship next time..we take one big vacation a year - and I plan to take my kids out of school as long as I can versus going with the larger crowds! thanks for your comments

 

Good call. We took our then 2-year-old on Allure of the Seas and he had a blast. There were tons of activities and things to do and I'd imagine, given that's it's got a significantly larger staff, you'd have a better chance finding an in-room babysitter. We've done a few other non-Oasis class ships but have found that the Oasis-class is the best route if you're traveling with kids.

 

Take care!

-germ

[The Fun Researcher]

That phone cord is nasty.

 

Dan

[mom2tcdx2]

My personal opinion would be that there is nothing about the vacation that would justify the cost of $10,000 for 4 people. Honestly you probably would have gotten more value out of just booking a balcony, or even two side by side and saved quite a bit of cost.

 

I can say I don't ever recall seeing mention of a crib, but rather I had always thought and assumed you received a playpen instead. I too wouldn't think the cost of the suites with the Genie would be worth the cost either to me the value just wouldn't be there.

 

Can't comment on the babysitting, though this is why my kids didn't really go on vacations until they were over the age of 3. Just can't imagine seeking others to care for an infant. I guess I never would have accounted for any alone time with children that young.